Schedule and Monitor IOS XE Firmware Upgrades for Device Config Mode Switches

Overview

Before using this capability, review the Before You Upgrade and Known Issues and Limitations sections.

For switches using configuration source: device mode, network administrators can schedule and monitor IOS XE firmware upgrades for eligible Cisco C9000 Series switches directly from the Meraki Dashboard.

Administrators can select switches or stacks across networks in an organization, choose a target firmware version, schedule the upgrade, and track progress in Dashboard without using the switch CLI for the core workflow.

Although the new tab is labeled Cloud Monitoring, upgrades can currently be initiated only for switches in Configuration Source: Device.

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Before you upgrade

Before scheduling an upgrade from Dashboard, review the following requirements and recommendations:

The switches that you upgrade must already be onboarded and connected to Dashboard. For more information, see Enable Cloud Management for Cisco Switches with Device Configuration.
The switch must be running in install mode. Upgrades from bundle mode are not currently supported. For more information, see Cisco's Catalyst 9000 upgrade guide.
Before upgrading, save any unsaved configuration changes by running write memory before scheduling the upgrade.
Plan a maintenance window of 2 to 3 hours for the upgrade, including switch stacks.
Downgrades and rollbacks are not currently supported from Dashboard.

Flash Memory requirements

Confirm that sufficient free space is available in flash memory before upgrading:
- Catalyst 9200 Series switches require at least 1 GB of free space.
- Catalyst 9300 and Catalyst 9500 Series switches require at least 2.5 GB of free space.
- Catalyst 9400 and Catalyst 9600 Series switches require at least 2.5 GB of free space.
To verify available flash space and current file sizes, run dir flash:

To remove unused image and package files, run install remove inactive. This command permanently deletes system image and package files that are not currently in use by IOS XE.

Supported capabilities

To view the list of supported models in Device Config Mode, see here.

Capability	Customer-facing behavior
Per-switch upgrades	Select one or more eligible Cisco C9000 Series switches and schedule an upgrade directly from Dashboard.
Target firmware selection	Choose an available target firmware version for the selected switch or stack. Only versions shown in Dashboard can be selected.
Upgrade now or later	Start the upgrade immediately during a maintenance window or schedule it for a future time.
Cancel upgrade	Cancel the upgrade for one or more switches before the scheduled start time.
Upgrade progress visibility	Track switch-level status through scheduled, download, install, verification, completion, failure, retry, skipped, or cancellation states.
Event logs	Review firmware upgrade lifecycle events in the Meraki Event Log.

Known issues and limitations

Upgrade concurrency is limited to 50 switches per upgrade. A maximum of 50 switches can be upgraded in parallel at one time.

Staged upgrades are not supported for switches using configuration source: device mode.

Switches using configuration source: device mode cannot be upgraded through network-level upgrades on the Cloud-Managed tab. They can only be upgraded via the Cloud Monitored tab.

Switches using configuration source: device mode that are attached to templates cannot be upgraded by upgrading the template. Templates are not supported for device mode switches.

APIs for device-configuration mode upgrades are not publicly available at this time and will be made available soon.

Dashboard image upgrades are not currently topology-aware. If simultaneous upgrades are initiated and one switch is in the upstream path of another, the downstream switch upgrade could fail.

This feature is not available in Meraki for Government at this time. It will be available in a subsequent release.

ISSU and xFSU are not supported with device-mode upgrades at this time.

Firmware upgrade status may appear stuck if a switch is scheduled for an upgrade but is manually upgraded to the target version via CLI before the scheduled upgrade begins.
Certain failure messages, such as those related to insufficient storage space, are not currently reported in the event logs.
For modular and stack switches, the Switch List page may display an incorrect upgrade status for individual members.
Downgrades and rollbacks are not supported at this time.
Flash-space cleanup triggered from the dashboard is not currently supported. This capability will be available in a future release.
The dashboard does not automatically detect whether a device is using install mode or bundle mode. Before proceeding with an upgrade, review the Before You Upgrade section.

High-level upgrade flow

When an upgrade begins, Dashboard downloads the .bin file from the cloud to the switch and starts the IOS XE install workflow on the device, including the add, activate, and commit stages.

After installation, the switch reboots. During reboot, the switch appears disconnected from Dashboard. After the switch reconnects, it may take a few minutes for Dashboard to display the updated version information.

Total upgrade time varies based on download speed, stack size, and the number of retries required. A maintenance window of 2 to 3 hours is typically sufficient for an upgrade to the target version, including switch stacks.

Upgrade retry behavior:

Download failures: The Dashboard makes up to three download attempts: one initial attempt followed by two retries.
Install failures: No full installation retry is performed. The upgrade is marked as failed after the first device-reported hard failure.

Schedule an upgrade

Go to Organization-wide > Firmware upgrades.

Select Schedule upgrades.

Choose the Cloud Monitored view.

View switches eligible for upgrade scheduling.

Figure 1. Firmware upgrades schedule view for device config mode switches.

Select one or more eligible switches or stacks from the list that are marked Available for upgrade.

Choose the target firmware version shown as available for the selected switch.

Choose whether to upgrade now or schedule the upgrade for a future date and time.

Confirm the schedule.

Monitor the upgrade on the Cloud Monitored page, Switch List view, and Switch Details view until it reaches a final status, such as Complete, Failed, or Canceled.

Upgrade statuses

Network administrators can monitor upgrades from the Firmware upgrades page, switch list views, and switch details views. During an upgrade, switches report status through the stages below.

Status	What it means
Idle	No upgrade activity is currently associated with the switch.
Upgrade Scheduled	Upgrade is planned for the specified time.
Download Started / Complete	The firmware image is being downloaded or has finished downloading.
Install Started	The image is being installed. The switch may temporarily go offline while it restarts with the new image.
Verification Started	The image has been installed, and the switch is verifying stable connectivity with Dashboard.
Upgrade Complete	The upgrade finished successfully.
Upgrade Failed	The upgrade attempt failed.
Upgrade Cancelled	The upgrade was cancelled by the user before the scheduled start time.

View upgrade stages and progress by selecting a switch and navigating to its Switch Details page.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my switch not listed on the Cloud Monitored Upgrades page?

The switch might be dormant or might not be a device config mode switch.

Can I schedule many switches at once?

Yes, within the supported concurrency limit of 50. Start with a small batch before expanding.

Can I cancel an upgrade?

You can cancel the upgrade before the scheduled start time.

Will the switch reboot?

IOS XE firmware upgrades can be disruptive and might require a reload. Schedule upgrades during a maintenance window.

Are automatic rollbacks supported?

No. Automatic rollback is not supported for this Dashboard workflow.

Are downgrades supported?

No. Downgrades are not supported through Dashboard.

Are APIs available?

No. APIs are not currently publicly available. They will be available soon.

Additional resources

Learn more about Cloud Management with IOS XE.

Review the latest Cloud Entitlement for DNA offer. Eligible devices can migrate to cloud management using an existing DNA license, with no additional license migration or transfer required until February 1, 2029.